Astronomy 310: Galaxies Course Syllabus

Professor: Jeffrey Kenney
jeff.kenney@yale.edu

office: 46 Hillhouse room 102
phone: 203-432-3013
office hours: by appt

Course Description: The structure of the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies; stellar populations and star clusters in galaxies; gas and star formation in galaxies; the evolution of galaxies; galaxies and their large-scale environment; galaxy mergers and interactions; supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei.

Prerequisites: MATH 115, PHYS 201, and ASTR 210 or 220, or equivalents, or with permission of instructor.

Texts: Main Textbook: Sparke & Gallagher "Galaxies in the Universe" (2007, 2nd edition ) (SG) Paper ISBN-13: 978-0521855938 (~$51)
Review Textbook: you may need to review or learn introductory astronomy concepts from some introductory undergraduate textbook. e.g., Freedman (& Geller) & Kaufmann, "Universe", any edition.
plus other assigned readings

Grading: 35% Homework (~weekly)
25% Midterm Exam
30% Final Exam
10% Class Participation (use of technological devices in class will result in a lower grade. exception: computer to take notes, only with permission)

Important
Dates: Feb 19 (Wed) -- Midterm Exam (1:00p.m. in WTS A46)
Mar 6 (Fri) -- Last day to withdraw w/o transcript record or to change from letter grade to Cr/D/F
May 3 (Sun) -- Final Exam (7:00p.m.)

Website: www.astro.yale.edu/astro310

Syllabus (07jan20)

DATE	LECTURE (Slides, Notes)	READING	HOMEWORK
Mon Jan 13	1. Introduction: Course Preview	SG 1.0, 1.3.0 REVIEW: galaxy intro: i e.g., Universe Ch 23 sec 1-2
Wed Jan 15	2. The Milky Way Galaxy: Stars in the Solar Neighborhood	SG1.1, 2.0, 2.1 REVIEW: stars & stellar evolution e.g., Universe Ch. 17 sec 1-9 ; Ch 19 sec 1-3
Fri Jan 17	3. The Milky Way Galaxy: Vertical Distribution of Stars	SG1.2.0, 2.2.0, 2.2.2 REVIEW: Milky Way structure e.g., Universe Ch 22 sec 1,2
Wed Jan 22	4. The Milky Way Galaxy: Star Clusters	SG2.2.3, 2.2.4 REVIEW: star clusters & stellar evolution e.g., Universe Ch 19 sec 4,5	HW1 due
Mon Jan 27	5. The Milky Way Galaxy: Star Clusters & Chemical Evolution I
Wed Jan 29	6. The Milky Way Galaxy: Gas and Dust	SG1.2.1, 2.4.0, 2.4.1 REVIEW: interstellar gas & dust e.g., Universe 18-2,7	HW2 due
Mon Feb 3	7. HII Regions	SG2.4.2
Wed Feb 5	8. HII Regions & Energy Balance in the ISM	no new reading	HW3 due
Mon Feb 10	9. Orbits of Stars: Gravitational Potentials	SG3.0, 3.1
Wed Feb 12	10. Orbits of Stars: Conservation of Energy & the Virial Theorem	no new reading	HW4 due
Mon Feb 17	11. Orbits in Spherical Potentials & 2-Body Encounters	SG 3.2.0-3.2.2
Wed Feb 19	MIDTERM EXAM
Mon Feb 24	12. Orbits of Stars: Timescales & Distant Weak Encounters	SG 3.2.3
Wed Feb 26	13. Orbits of Stars: Effects of 2-Body Relaxation	no new reading	HW5 due
Mon Mar 2	14. Introduction to the Local Group	SG1.3.0, 4.0, 4.1 REVIEW: galaxy types e.g., Universe Ch 23 sec 3
Wed Mar 4	15. Tidal Interactions in Galaxies & Star Clusters	SG4.1.4	HW6 due
Mon Mar 23	16. Chemical Evolution in Galaxies II	review slides on element basics SG4.2-4.3
Wed Mar 25	17. Spiral Galaxies: Starlight from Disks	SG4.4,4.5, 1.3.0,1.3.1, 5.0,5.1.0,5.1.2
Mon Mar 30	18. Spiral Galaxies: Gas	SG 5.2.0,5.2.2 REVIEW: HI e.g., Universe 22-3	HW7 due
Wed Apr 1	19. Spiral Galaxies: Kinematics, Rotation Curves & Dark Matter	SG 5.3 REVIEW: rotation curves and dark matter e.g., Universe 22-4, 23-8
Mon Apr 6	20. Spiral Structure	SG5.4, 5.5 REVIEW: spiral arms e.g., Universe 22-5	HW8 due
Wed Apr 8	21. Elliptical Galaxies: Stellar Morphology	SG 6.0, 6.1
Mon Apr 13	22. Elliptical Galaxies: Kinematics & Mergers	SG 6.2.0-6.2.3, 6.3
Wed Apr 15	23. Interactions & Mergers in Groups & Clusters	SG 7.0-7.2 REVIEW: groups, clusters, mergers e.g., Universe Ch 23 sec 6,7	HW9 due
Mon Apr 20	24. Supermassive Black Holes & AGN I	SG 5.6.2, 6.4.2, 9.0-9.1 REVIEW: galaxy centers, AGN e.g., Universe Ch 22 sec 6, Ch 24 sec 1-5 18-2,7
Wed Apr 22	25. Supermassive Black Holes & AGN II	SG 9.2	HW10 due

notation on reading assignments:
"0" means 1st part of section or chapter, before sub-sections start

Errata! please check Sparke & Gallagher Errata

Guidelines for HW problems in Astro310

Your written, submitted HW problems should be done in such a way to show how to do the problem to someone who does not know how to do the problem. Explain reasoning of key steps, at least briefly. The written solutions are a communication to someone else.
Leave plenty of space in your submitted solutions -- don't crowd your writing together. Allow space for me to make comments, and for you make additions and changes. More space around your writing makes it easier to read and interpret.
write down given & other relevant information
write down relevant equations
draw diagrams when helpful or relevant
show all work
explain all steps, using words as well as equations
solve problem as far as you can analytically
if you solve something numerically, say how you did it (e.g. calculator, mathematica, computer program that you wrote)
always use units
don't plug in numbers until last step/ until you have to

Professor:	Jeffrey Kenney jeff.kenney@yale.edu	office: 46 Hillhouse room 102 phone: 203-432-3013 office hours: by appt
Course Description:	The structure of the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies; stellar populations and star clusters in galaxies; gas and star formation in galaxies; the evolution of galaxies; galaxies and their large-scale environment; galaxy mergers and interactions; supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei.
Prerequisites:	MATH 115, PHYS 201, and ASTR 210 or 220, or equivalents, or with permission of instructor.
Texts:	Main Textbook: Sparke & Gallagher "Galaxies in the Universe" (2007, 2nd edition ) (SG) Paper ISBN-13: 978-0521855938 (~$51) Review Textbook: you may need to review or learn introductory astronomy concepts from some introductory undergraduate textbook. e.g., Freedman (& Geller) & Kaufmann, "Universe", any edition. plus other assigned readings
Grading:	35% Homework (~weekly) 25% Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 10% Class Participation (use of technological devices in class will result in a lower grade. exception: computer to take notes, only with permission)
Important Dates:	Feb 19 (Wed) -- Midterm Exam (1:00p.m. in WTS A46) Mar 6 (Fri) -- Last day to withdraw w/o transcript record or to change from letter grade to Cr/D/F May 3 (Sun) -- Final Exam (7:00p.m.)
Website:	www.astro.yale.edu/astro310